“HE is a good man, suppose, and an excellent doctor,” said Mrs. Salina
Simmons, with a dubious shake of her head but----”
“But what, Mrs. Simmons?”
“They say he _drinks!_”
“No, impossible!” exclaimed Mr. Josiah Query, with emphasis.
“Impossible? I hope so,” said Mrs. Simmons. “And--mind you, I don't say
he _drinks_, but that such is the report. And I have it upon tolerably
good authority, too, Mr. Query.”
“What authority?”
“Oh, I couldn't tell that: for you know I never like to make mischief. I
can only say that the _report_ is--he drinks.”
Mr. Josiah Query scratched his head.
“Can it be that Dr. Harvey drinks?” he murmured. “I thought him pure Son
of Temperance. And his my family physician, too! I must look into this
matter forthwith. Mrs. Simmons, you still decline slating who is your
authority for this report?”
Mrs. Simmons was firm; her companion could gain no satisfaction. She
soon compelled him to promise that he would not mention her name, if he
spoke of the affair elsewhere, repeating her remark that she never liked
to make mischief.
Dr. Harvey was a physician residing in a small village, where he shared
the profits of practice with another doctor, named Jones. Dr. Harvey was
generally liked and among his friends was Mr. Josiah Query, whom Mrs.
Simmons shocked with the bit of gossip respecting the doctor's habits
of intemperance. Mr. Query was a good-hearted man, and he deemed it his
duty to inquire into the nature of the report, and learn if it had
any foundation in truth. Accordingly, he went to Mr. Green, who also
employed the doctor in his family.
“Mr. Green,” said he, “have you heard anything about this report of Dr.
Harvey's intemperance?”
“Dr. Harvey's intemperance?” cried Mr. Green, astonished.
“Yes--a flying report.”
“No, I'm sure I haven't.”
“Of course, then, you don't know whether it is true or not?”
“What?”
“That he drinks.”
“I never heard of it before. Dr. Harvey is my family physician, and I
certainly would not employ a man addicted to the use of ardent spirits.”
“Nor I,” said Mr. Query “and for this reason, and for the doctor's sake,
too, I want to know the truth of the matter. I don't really credit it
myself; but I thought it would do no harm to inquire.”
Mr. Query next applied to Squire Worthy for information.
“Dear me!” exclaimed the squire, who was a nervous man; “does Dr. Harvey
drink?”
“Such is the rumour; how true it is, I can't say.”
“And what if he should give one of my family a dose of arsenic instead
of the tincture of rhubarb, some time, when he is intoxicated? My mind
is made up now. I shall send for Dr. Jones in future.”
“But, dear sir,” remonstrated Mr. Query. “I don't say the report is
true.”
“Oh, no; you wouldn't wish to commit yourself. You like to know the safe
side, and so do I. I shall employ Dr. Jones.”
Mr. Query turned sorrowfully away.
“Squire Worthy must have bad suspicions of the doctor's intemperance
before I came to him,” thought he; “I really begin to fear that there is
some foundation for the report. I'll go to Mrs. Mason; she will know.”
Mr. Query found Mrs. Mason ready to listen to and believe any scandal.
She gave her head a significant toss, as if she knew more about the
report than she chose to confess.
Mr. Query begged of her to explain herself.
“Oh, _I_ sha'n't say anything,” exclaimed Mrs. Mason; “I've no ill will
against Dr. Harvey, and I'd rather cut off my right hand than injure
him.”
“But is the report true?”
“True, Mr. Query? Do you suppose _I_ ever saw Dr. Harvey drunk? Then how
can you expect me to know? Oh, I don't wish to say anything against the
man, and I won't.”
After visiting Mrs. Mason, Mr. Query went to half a dozen others to
learn the truth respecting Dr. Harvey's habits. Nobody would confess
that they knew anything, about his drinking; but Mr. Smith “was not as
much surprised as others might be;” Mr. Brown “was sorry if the report
was true,” adding, that the best of men had their faults. Miss Single
had frequently remarked the doctor's florid complexion, and wondered if
his colour was natural; Mr. Clark remembered that the doctor appeared
unusually gay, on the occasion of his last visit to his family; Mrs.
Rogers declared that, when she came to reflect, she believed she had
once or twice smelt the man's breath; and Mr. Impulse had often seen him
riding at an extraordinary rate for a sober Gentleman. Still Mr. Query
was unable to ascertain any definite facts respecting the unfavourable
report.
Meanwhile, with his usual industry, Dr. Harvey went about his business,
little suspecting the scandalous gossip that was circulating to his
discredit. But he soon perceived he was very coldly received by some
of his old friends, and that others employed Dr. Jones. Nobody sent for
him, and he might have begun to think that the health of the town was
entirely re-established, had he not observed that his rival appeared
driven with business, and that he rode night and day.
One evening Dr. Harvey sat in his office, wondering what could have
occasioned the sudden and surprising change in his affairs, when,
contrary to his expectations, he received a call to visit a sick child
of one of his old friends, who had lately employed his rival. After
some hesitation, and a struggle between pride and a sense of duty,
he resolved to respond to the call, and at the same time learn, if
possible, why he had been preferred to Dr. Jones, and why Dr. Jones had
on other occasions been preferred to him.
“The truth is, Dr. Harvey,” said Mr. Miles, “we thought the child
dangerously ill, and as Dr. Jones could not come immediately, we
concluded to send for you.”
“I admire your frankness,” responded Dr. Harvey, smiling; “and shall
admire it still more, if you will inform me why you have lately
preferred Dr. Jones to me. Formerly I had the honour of enjoying your
friendship and esteem, and you have frequently told me yourself, that
you would trust no other physician.”
“Well,” replied Mr. Miles, “I am a plain man, and never hesitate to tell
people what they wish to know. I sent for Dr. Jones instead of you, I
confess not that I doubted your skill--”
“What then?”
“It is a delicate subject, but I will, nevertheless, speak out. Although
I had the utmost confidence in your skill and faithfulness--I--you know,
I--in short, I don't like to trust a physician who drinks.”
“Sir!” cried the astonished doctor.
“Yes--drinks,” pursued Mr. Miles. “It is plain language, but I am a
plain man. I heard of your intemperance, and thought it unsafe--that is,
dangerous--to employ you.”
“My intemperance!” ejaculated Dr. Harvey.
“Yes, sir! and I am sorry to know it. But the fact that you sometimes
drink a trifle too much is now a well known fact, and is generally
talked of in the village.”
“Mr. Miles,” cried the indignant doctor, “this is scandalous--it is
false! Who is your authority for this report?”
“Oh, I have heard it from several mouths but I can't say exactly who is
responsible for the rumour.”
And Mr. Miles went on to mention several names, as connected with the
rumour, and among which was that of Mr. Query.
The indignant doctor immediately set out on a pilgrimage of
investigation, going from one house to another, in search of the author
of the scandal.
Nobody, however, could state where it originated, but it was universally
admitted that the man from whose lips it was first heard, was Mr. Query.
Accordingly Dr. Harvey hastened to Mr. Query's house, and demanded of
that gentleman what he meant by circulating such scandal.
“My dear doctor,” cried Mr. Query, his face beaming with conscious
innocence, “_I_ haven't been guilty of any mis-statement about you, I
can take my oath. I heard that there was a report of your drinking,
and all I did was to tell people I didn't believe it, nor know anything
about it, and to inquire were it originated. Oh, I assure you, doctor, I
haven't slandered you in any manner.”
“You are a poor fool!” exclaimed Dr. Harvey, perplexed and angry. “If
you had gone about town telling everybody that you saw me drunk, daily,
you couldn't have slandered me more effectually than you have.”
“Oh, I beg your pardon,” cried Mr. Query, very sad; “but I thought I was
doing you a service!”
“Save me from my friends!” exclaimed the doctor, bitterly. “An _enemy_
could not have done me as much injury as you have done. But I now insist
on knowing who first mentioned the report to you.”
“Oh, I am not at liberty to say that.”
“Then I shall hold you responsible for the scandal--for the base lies
you have circulated. But if you are really an honest man, and my friend,
you will not hesitate to tell me where this report originated.”
After some reflection, Mr. Query, who stood in mortal fear of the
indignant doctor, resolved to reveal the secret, and mentioned the name
of his informant, Mrs. Simmons. As Dr. Harvey had not heard her spoken
of before, as connected with the report of his intemperance, he knew
very well that Mr. Query's “friendly investigations” had been the sole
cause of his loss of practice. However, to go to the roots of this Upas
tree of scandal, he resolved to pay an immediate visit to Mrs. Simmons.
This lady could deny nothing; but she declared that she had not given
the rumour as a fact, and that she had never spoken of it except to Mr.
Query. Anxious to throw the responsibility of the slander upon others,
she eagerly confessed that, on a certain occasion upon entering a room
in which were Mrs. Guild and Mrs. Harmless, she overheard one of these
ladies remark that “Dr. Harvey drank more than ever,” and the other
reply, that “she had heard him say he could not break himself, although
he knew his health suffered in consequence.”
Thus set upon the right track, Dr. Harvey visited Mrs. Guild and Mrs.
Harmless without delay.
“Mercy on us!” exclaimed those ladies, when questioned respecting the
matter, “we perfectly remember talking about your _drinking coffee_,
and making such remarks as you have heard through Mrs. Simmons. But with
regard to your _drinking liquor_, we never heard the report until a week
ago, and never believed it at all.”
As what these ladies had said of his _coffee-drinking_ propensities was
perfectly true, Dr. Harvey readily acquitted them of any designs against
his character for sobriety, and well satisfied with having at last
discovered the origin of the rumour, returned to the friendly Mr. Query.
The humiliation of this gentleman was so deep, that Dr. Harvey
avoided reproaches, and confined himself to a simple narrative of his
discoveries.
“I see, it is all my fault,” said Mr. Query. “And I will do anything
to remedy it. I never could believe you drank--and now I'll go and tell
everybody that the report _was_ false.”
“Oh! bless you,” cried the doctor, “I wouldn't have you do so for the
world. All I ask of you, is to say nothing whatever on the subject, and
if you ever again hear a report of the kind, don't make it a subject of
friendly investigation.”
Mr. Query promised; and, after the truth was known, and, Dr. Harvey
had regained the good-will of the community, together with his share of
medical practice, he never had reason again to exclaim--“Save me from
my friends!” And Mr. Query was in future exceedingly careful how he
attempted to make friendly investigations.